Clematis Plant named &#39;Evipo035&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, violet flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Genus: Clematis

Species: viticella

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Evipo035’

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematis plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, an un-named seedling

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 1994 and the resulting seeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment in Guernsey, Channel Islands. The new variety named ‘Evipo035’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parent and male pollen parent primarily by flower color and growth habit.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to create a new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualities such as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant violet flowers;     -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for         container culture; and     -   3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that were in commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantially achieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo035’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in their clematis development program in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom in 1995. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo035’ by means of vegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summer of 1995. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo035’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo035’. Specifically illustrated in the FIG. 1 are open flowers, stems, and leaves. Illustrated in FIG. 2 is an open flower close up. Illustrated in FIG. 3 is the entire plant growing in a container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo035’, as observed in its growth throughout the flowering period in glasshouses in Denmark. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 18 months in 2 liter containers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematis variety ‘Evipo023’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,166 are compared to ‘Evipo035’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo035’ ‘Evipo023’ Flower diameter 140 mm 90 mm-120 mm Tepal color, upper Violet Blue Violet Blue 91A surface Group 91C Tepal count 11 6 to 8

-   Flower and flower bud:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous. The natural flowering period is             generally from April to September.         -   Peduncle.—Surface Texture: Smooth and pubescent. Length: On             average 40 mm. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144D. Strength:             Moderately strong.         -   Receptacle.—Absent.         -   Flower arrangement.—Location on vine: New growth only.             Borne: Normally in clusters of 2 flowers.         -   Flower bloom.—Size: On average, flowers are 140 mm in             diameter and 15 mm in depth. Profile: Open flowers are flat.             Fragrance: None. Lasting Quality: Flowers normally remain 5             days on the plant.         -   Tepals.—Tepal Color: Upon and after opening the upper             surface is Violet Blue Group 91C. The lower surface is             Violet Blue Group 91D. Quantity: Normally 11 tepals. Size:             50 to 70 mm in length by 30 to 50 mm wide. Shape: Individual             tepal shape is obovate to elliptic. The tepal apex is             rounded, somewhat mucronate. The tepal base is acute. Apex             Recurvature: None. Tepal Cross section: Flat. Margins:             Entire. Persistence: Tepals drop off cleanly.         -   Reproductive organs.—Pollen: Not observed. Anthers: Size: 4             mm in length. Color: Violet Group 83A. Quantity: On             average, 40. Filaments: Color: White Group 155B. Length:             9 mm. Pistils: Quantity: On average, 65. Stigmas: Inferior             in location relative to the length of the filaments and the             height of the anthers. Styles: Color: Violet Group 83A.             Length: 5 mm. -   Plant:     -   -   Plant form.—Climbing.         -   Plant growth.—Vigorous.         -   Size.—Seasons growth attains 100 cm in height. Average             spread is 100 cm.         -   Hardiness.—Trials to date show the variety hardy in USDA             Zones 6.         -   Stems.—Color: Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 144B.             Mature stems are Greyed-Orange Group 175B. Internodes: On             average, 15 cm between nodes. Length: Normally 50 cm from             the base of the plant to the flowering portion of the stem.             Diameter: Normally 2 mm. Texture: Mature stems are generally             ribbed. Young stems are smooth.         -   Plant foliage.—Leaf characteristics: Deciduous. Arrangement:             Triternate. Leaf Size: Compound leaves are normally 120 mm             (l)×80 mm (w). Leaflets are normally 50 mm (l)×30 mm (w).             Abundance: On average 2 leaves per 10 cm of stem. Leaf             Color: Juvenile upper & lower are Yellow-Green Group 144A.             Mature upper Yellow-Green Group 147A. Mature lower             Yellow-Green Group 146A. Stipules: Absent. Petioles: Size:             Normally 80 mm in length by 1 mm diameter. Texture: Smooth.             Color: Greyed-Purple Group 183D. Petioloule: Size: Normally             10 to 40 mm in length by 1 mm diameter. Texture: Smooth.             Color: Greyed-Purple Group 183B. Leaflet Shape: Generally             lanceolate. The base is cordate. The apex is acute. Margin:             Entire. Surface: The upper and lower side is smooth.             Thickness: Moderate. Glossiness: Not glossy.         -   Disease resistance.—Subject to any disease that normally             attacks the species. However the variety is more tolerant to             clematis wilt than some clematis.         -   Cold hardiness.—The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness             Zone 6.         -   Heat tolerance.—The variety has been found to be suitable             for climate conditions found in the American Horticulture             Society heat zone 7. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named ‘Evipo035’, substantially as described and illustrated, due to its abundant violet flowers with good keepability, attractive long lasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 